In Natal, the arrival of the Indentured Indian in 1860 marked
the beginnings of an organised scheme whereby approximately 152,184
Indians arrived to seek gainful employment in a fledgling sugar
industry. While many worked on the sugar fields, others worked
on the wattle and tea plantations and in the coal-mines . Some
came as domestic servants as Dhobis, waiters and house-servants
and were able to command a respectable salary of 20 shillings
per month.

When the ships left India, the name of the person, his
age sex, caste height, area he came from, the village, the name
of the Ship and the year were documented. Hence a "ships
list" of all passengers were compiled and where possible
when the labourers arrived in the Colony of Natal, the name of
his employer was inserted in the register. This record served
to keep track of the Indians and even in later years Indians
were not allowed to cross the border into the provinces of Natal,
Cape, Orange Free State and Transvaal unless a permit was secured.

Indentured Indians in Sugar
Fields

Morewoods
Immigration Barracks on the Umgeni

While they stayed in the Colonies,
they set up residence, built their own homes, temples and engaged
themselves in a variety of festivals. The kavady festival was
prevelant in the earlier years and was dubbed the "marigold
festival" due to the abundance of marigolds used. The Mohurrum
festival, which is usually a Muslim festival, was celebrated
by all Indians. The event was called an Indian Xmas by the White
settlers.